Economic and Environmental Role of Wetlands

Interview with Nick Davidson, Ramsar Convention’s Deputy Secretary General at CBD, COP11. The key role that rapidly diminishing wetlands play in supporting human life and biodiversity needs to be recognized and integrated into decision-making as a vital component of the transition to a resource-efficient, sustainable world economy, according to a new TEEB report released today.

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How many mangroves does it take to offset a transatlantic flight? What consumer actions can we take to reduce damage to rainforests?
Answers to these questions and many more will be provided by a new iPhone application to be launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at the Eye on Earth summit in Abu Dhabi.

Press Launch at Eye on Earth Summit, Abu Dhabi

Time: 2.30pm, Tuesday 13 December 2011

Venue: One UN Pavilion, ADNEC

How many mangroves does it take to offset a transatlantic flight? What consumer actions can we take to reduce damage to rainforests?

Answers to these questions and many more will be provided by a new iPhone application to be launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at the Eye on Earth summit in Abu Dhabi.

The free UNEP application draws attention to the critical role played by ecosystems such as saltmarshes, mangroves, tropical forests and seagrasses in tackling climate change.

It allows users to calculate their personal carbon footprint for journeys taken by air, train or road. Users will then be shown the area of a particular ecosystem (such as a tropical forest) that can store this amount of carbon dioxide.

The application demonstrates the vital role of coastal and terrestrial ecosystems in storing and sequestering CO₂ ? and actions that individuals can take to help conserve these valuable natural assets. Information on key climate initiatives such as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) is also provided.

The iPhone application, which is available in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish, will be launched during the official opening of the One UN Pavilion at the Eye on Earth summit.